Chapter 5
Reversible Addition-Fragmentation Chain Transfer Polymerization of 4-Anilinophenyl(meth)acrylates
Downloaded by UNIV OF SYDNEY on October 2, 2013 | http://pubs.acs.org Publication Date: August 30, 2007 | doi: 10.1021/bk-2007-0962.ch005
Ru Chen, Chunzhao Li, and Brian C . Benicewicz New York State Center for Polymer Synthesis, Department of Chemistry and Chemical Biology, Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, Troy, NY 12180
The monomers 4-anilinophenyl methacrylate (1) and 4anilinophenyl acrylate (2) were synthesized and polymerized by reversible addition - fragmentation chain transfer (RAFT) polymerization as models for oligoaniline side chain polymers. Two chain transfer agents (CTAs), 2-cyanopropyl dithiobenzoate (3) and α-cyanobenzyl dithiobenzoate (4), were investigated in the R A F T process. The methacrylate monomer exhibited a higher rate of polymerization than the acrylate monomer and produced polymers with a narrower polydispersity index. The chain transfer agents also had an effect on the polymerization and C T A 3 controlled the polymerization better than C T A 4. A n in-situ N M R study showed that there was an induction period of approximately two hours for the polymerization of the acrylate monomer in the presence of C T A 4. With the proper selection of the chain transfer agent, the methacrylate monomer could be polymerized in a controlled manner to high conversion and produced polymers with low (
